Who we are? houseUP is an innovative construction company based in London. We offer customer oriented construction services and use digital tools to communicate with our customers, suppliers and contractors. Our project management and our estimations are completely digitalised, too. We use the latest technologies, together with knowledge and continuous research on the history of building and architecture in London, to perform amazing transformations of period buildings, especially in West London.
In our team we have:
For our design and build projects in Chiswick, Hammersmith, Hampstead and all West London we partner with local architects and designers. Our clients have all the benefits of working with local professionals who are experts of the council’s requirements and already have excellent relationships with the planning officers.
For all the details on our approach for design and build in West London you can visit our Design and Build page.
As many areas in Chiswick and West London are designated conservation areas, we specialise in conservation architecture and listed building alterations and design. We often manage to obtain planning permission in conservation areas, even when our clients thought it would be impossible.
Our secret is a deep knowledge of the history of the local architecture. Chiswick has always been a fertile terrain for new architectural trends and styles in the last couple of centuries. Our conservation experts are able to develop innovative designs that follow the historical vocation of the area while respectful of the local vernacular.
For all the details on our approach for design and build in conservation areas in West London you can visit our Conservation Architecture page.
A house renovation is a great investment for your Chiswick home. Renovating your property creates the feeling of living in a new home without all the known hassle associated with moving. If you love living in West London and want to explore all the options you have to renovate your property, you can find all the info you need at our dedicated house renovation page.
For our flat refurbishments in Chiswick, we take care of everything with your neighbours, the resident’s association, the management company, and your freeholder. Party wall, working hours, rubbish removal, method statements, we cover everything for your, whether your flat is in a 2-apartment building or a 30-dwelling Victorian mansion block. For more info you can check our page dedicated to property refurbishments in West London.
Adding a loft conversion is a fantastic option to get more space without moving. Whether you are developing the roof of a top floor flat or a house, with houseUP you can leverage our experience with the Hounslow and the Ealing councils for the necessary planning permissions for bigger developments or conversions inside conservation areas. We can also help with early feasibility studies and conversions within permitted development rights. For all the info on the types of loft conversions, average costs and more see our pare dedicated to loft conversions in London.
Extending your house is a great option to gain more space for a new room, to have a larger kitchen or more living space for the family. Any additional space in London is precious, and extending is a cost effective solution to improve your quality of life and increase the value of your property. That is why choosing the right house extension company is crucial for a final result in line with your expectations.
Space is very valuable in West London and rear and side extensions are a great option to add more living space for the family. In houseUP we can create the perfect design to maximise the space gain and keep plenty of outdoor space in your garden. Whether you want a larger kitchen, a play room for your children or a cosy living space for TV and video games, our teams will make it happen. Find out more about our house extension approach for Chiswick homes, even if you already have designs and plans from your chosen architect or designer.
In premium areas like Chiswick r Hammersmith, , a basement conversion is perfect for an additional living space when extending upwards or outwards is not possible.
Technology and materials have evolved so that a basement is no longer a dark low-ceilinged space. If well designed and properly built, a basement can be used for virtually any purpose in your house, including an open plan kitchen, for example.
To learn more about the steps to take to understand if a basement is feasible for you, see our page dedicated to basements in London.
Chiswick is one of our favourite areas to work in London. In our history, we have moved more and more towards North London and West London especially, with Hounslow and Ealing as the councils with great impetus for innovative solutions to improve living spaces with innovative architectural solutions.
This is not new for Chiswick, as the history of its residential architecture is varied and remained dynamic in the past centuries, from the terraces of Heathfield and Grove Park to the big houses in Italianate style, from the Tudor inspiration to the vernacular architecture of so many residential streets in Chiswick.
As builders in Chiswick, we have learned a deep respect for these beautiful buildings, so strong and so fragile at the same time. We take deep pride and satisfaction in our projects in W4, where we extended roofs, created extra rooms and opened up spaces to light, always in the spirit of beauty and functionality.
Andrew says about us:
Vincenzo and the team were enthusiastic, creative and engaged. They brought the project in on budget and I’m happy to recommend them. Their approach of having in-house structural engineering really helped make savings by integrating the disciplines involved with design and construction.
We meet you at your Chiswick home to understand your goals and needs. During the meeting we also assess the area and the architectural styles and the potential of your property
We will assign a specialist designer for your project. We partner with RIBA architects in W4 with experience in design and planning requirements for Hounslow and Ealing councils.
We will create a design proposal for you centred on your goals and your needs for your property improvement. The design proposal includes the planning permission process, if needed. For planning, we use our experience in the Chiswick, Shepherd’s Bush and Hammersmith areas, including Chiswick Riverside, Brentford, Turnham Green, Chiswick Homefield and Syon wards.
With our partner architects and interior designers, you will choose the best finishes for your Chiswick property, perfect for your taste and your style. And for the trickier projects in listed buildings you will have specialist heritage consultants on your side, too.
Once the design is finalised, we proceed with handling planning permission and any other permit might be necessary, including design and access statement, basement impact assessment, party wall notice, parking suspensions and resident committee permits.
Our team will lead and manage all the construction works, from start to finish, eliminating all the hassle and the pain points that are so common when dealing with other building contractors.
At completion, we go over every single details with you, to make sure that everything is satisfactory. That’s when we also provide all the certificates from building control and for any specialised work (gas, electrics) and guarantees for crucial parts of the works, like the roof construction and the waterproofing of the basement.
In any case, we always have a retention period that starts at completion and that covers a few months before the final payments are made to us.
We partner with the best architect firms and interior designers in West London, in particular with studios that specialise in conservation areas and listed buildings.
We completed several projects in W4 with different partner architects, all RIBA Chartered. With their expertise on the local architecture and their established rapport with the councillors and planning officers, we make up the best teams for all renovation projects in Chiswick.
With houseUP we have several completed projects in West London and Chiswick in particular, spanning W4 and neighbouring areas like Hammersmith, Shepherd’s Bush and Fulham. Our projects include extensions, roof developments, house refurbishments, basements and full property renovations.
Collected questions that we often hear from you
We always recommend that you arrange for alternative accommodation during the project.
Some of our clients choose to live at the property during the work, and, of course, we make that possible. However, please be advised that this arrangement comes with a significant increases in stress, cost and duration of the project.
You won’t need planning permission for most refurbishment projects. If you are not changing the external appearance of your flat or your house, you won’t need planning permission. In many cases, you can make a loft conversion or a rear/side extension within permitted development rights. You can find all the details on which type of extensions are allowed under permitted development here.
However, if you are planning to refurbish a listed building, you may need permission.
As per the duration of a project, it cannot be estimated without the full details. If you want to plan ahead, for alternative accommodation for example, we recommend at least:
For smaller flat refurbishment, approximately 4 to 6 months. For house refurbishment, approximately 6 – 8 months These estimations relate to straightforward refurbishments like loft conversions or rear and side extensions. More complex work like basement excavations can only be estimated with more details, especially if access to the property is a consideration. Composition of the soil etc are also important factors.
Every good building company will tell you that it is not possible to estimate the cost of refurbishment for a flat or a house before all the details have been defined. But we understand that it is important to have a reference figure before embarking in the process for budgeting purposes.
We suggest a conservative estimate of £1,750 per square metre as the absolute minimum, and an average of between £2,000 and £3,500 per square metre.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are details that can impact the cost significantly, the most costly being basement excavations or extensions of existing lower ground spaces; inclusion of very large or high spec glazing; very high energy performance materials.
Additionally, some finishes can increase costs significantly, like paint, tiles or flooring, especially if the surfaces are very large,.
In general, kitchens can be installed from as low as a few thousand pounds to hundreds of thousands, too.
When you buy a new property, it is very likely that you’ll plan for a refurbishment. You can find some very good deals on the market, where you can buy a property for a good price when it needs some work done.
By offering an estimation on work to be done, we can help you make the right decision and offer the right price for the potential property.
We certainly can! We work with the best architects in London through a tender process, for clients that choose to have the designs for their refurbishment made by an independent architect.
We can provide quotes in our own very detailed format or in your architect’s preferred format.
Yes we can. We partner with the best London architects to create designs that suit you and your needs. We will match you with architects who have specific experience in your area, share your vision and style for your refurbishment project.
Doing the design and build with us gives you a view and control of the projected costs of your refurbishment from the very first day. You will be able to make well-informed choices for your design while understanding the cost implications and opting for the best solution for your investment.
Check out our Design & Build page for more information.
Typically excavation to extend or create a basement under an existing property is one of the most expensive types of work in construction. The cost of finishes is another big factor in the final cost of a flat or house refurbishment.
Need local builders in Chiswick? Get in touch for works anywhere in West London. We carry out all types of property refurbishments, including extensions, roof developments, house refurbishments, basements and full property renovations.
